Office of Governor Gary Locke
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - August 4, 2000
Contact:  Governor's Communications Office, 360-902-4136
Alt Contact:  Tim Sweeney, WUTC, 360-664-1116

Locke announces $26 million for advanced telecommunications

OLYMPIA - Gov. Gary Locke today announced that consumers in Washington will receive $26 million in advanced telecommunications services and network improvements as a result of a plan developed by state regulators, consumer advocates and Qwest. The plan was approved today by King County Superior Court Judge Palmer Robinson.

Locke applauded the plan, saying, "This agreement goes a long way to implement my vision of 'one Washington' by ensuring that all citizens - urban and rural, rich and poor - have access to reliable, state-of-the-art telecommunications services that are so critical in the 21st century."

The telecommunications improvement plan was negotiated as a final settlement to a four-year-old court case over telephone rates charged by US WEST, now known as Qwest. The company was ordered to refund more than $200 million to its customers, and the $26 million represents the final amount necessary to close out the refund process.

The plan calls for a broad array of improved services, including:

* $5.3 million to upgrade the state's enhanced 911 service;
* $650,000 to provide basic voice mail service to the homeless, which will improve access to the job market, housing and social services;
* $5 million to connect library systems to the Internet;
* $5 million to provide telecommunications for rural economic development projects;
* $3.9 million to establish "tele-medicine" connections for medical clinics and hospitals to regional medical centers;
* $3.2 million to provide parts of the Qwest network to digital connections in rural areas;
* $2 million for non-profit and government agencies to use for consumer education and outreach on telecommunications issues; and
$900,000 to extend telephone service to two areas that fall outside any telephone company's existing service boundaries.

"This is an impressive set of projects that will make a real difference for consumers in our state," said Marilyn Showalter, chairwoman of the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission. "In particular, these projects will speed up access to advanced telecommunications services for rural areas and low-income families."

The plan was negotiated by the utilities commission, Qwest, the state Attorney General's Public Counsel Section, the American Association of Retired Persons and TRACER, a coalition of large business telecommunications users.

"I am glad that Qwest, the consumer advocates and the WUTC could come together on a plan that has so many benefits for our state," said WUTC commissioner Richard Hemstad. "This case has been in the courts since 1996, and it's good to have it end with everybody in agreement."

"Virtually every consumer in our state will benefit from this plan, whether it's with reliable service in an emergency, faster access to the Internet, better access to health care or stronger rural economies," said WUTC commissioner William Gillis.

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